Screen printing and laser treating system and method

ABSTRACT

A marking apparatus for printing and laser treating a workpiece in a single registration with a pallet. Printing heads and pallets are moveable relative to each other to apply an ink to the workpiece, such that, upon locating the printing head in relocated position, a laser beam can controllably intersect the workpiece.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention p The present invention relates to the markingof workpieces including fabrics, garments or textiles and, moreparticularly, to the application of an ink and laser treatment of aworkpiece, wherein the ink can be applied by screen printing and thelaser treatment can be performed on a workpiece with a singleregistration of the workpiece relative to a pallet.

2. Background Art

Screen printing has grown over the past several decades into a highvolume business. A large segment of this industry requires the printingof numerals upon athletic shirts and jerseys for high school, college,professional and amateur athletic teams as well as for casual wear sportjerseys and T-shirts.

Screening technology includes locating a transmissible screen adjacentthe garment, wherein predetermined portions of the screen are occludedto preclude the passage of ink, such that, upon urging ink against thescreen, the ink passes the selected regions of the screen to color theunderlying garment.

Multiple screens can be used to create the desired image on theworkpiece. Therefore, the screens and associated frames must beaccurately located when mounted on the printing apparatus to assureproper placement of the printed image onto the garment. The screen mustbe registered or positioned in lateral and longitudinal directionsrelative to a pallet and the material mounted thereon to assure qualityof the printing process. When more than one color is employed, theprecise registration or positioning becomes even more critical.

The need exists for a system that can provide screen printing of theworkpiece, while also permitting alternative treatments, withoutinterfering with the screen printing process. The need further existsfor a system that can employ the registration of the workpiece withrespect to a pallet from a screen printing process for additional oralternative treatments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a marking apparatus for marking aworkpiece with ink and laser treatment, while the workpiece is in aregistered orientation with a pallet. In a further configuration, theapparatus provides for screen printing and laser marking, as well aslaser treatment and cutting, on the workpiece, while the workpieceremains in a single predetermined registration with a pallet.

Generally, the marking apparatus includes a plurality of pallets and aplurality of printing heads, each of the printing heads moveablerelative to the corresponding pallet between a printing position and astandby (non-printing) position.

The marking apparatus further includes a laser marker for projecting alaser beam along a projection path to intersect the pallet. The lasermarker can employ any of variety of laser configurations includingscanning or polygon lasers. The laser can be used to perform any of avariety of operations or treatments of the workpiece, including but notlimited to scribing, fading, photo-decomposing of a dye or ink, cutting,perforating, abrading, marking, detailing, decorating, curing orablating, wherein these processes can be employed to form any type ofpattern, graphic or indicia to the workpiece (collectively referred toas treatment).

In one configuration, the intersection of the laser beam with the palletis dependent upon the position of the pallet relative to the printinghead. For example, intersection of the laser beam with the pallet may beprecluded, when the printing head is in the printing position.

In further configurations, the pallet can be moveable relative to aplurality of fixed printing heads, wherein the pallet moves to beoperably aligned with the laser.

The present marking apparatus thus provides a method for marking aworkpiece such as a garment, textile or fabric by registering theworkpiece relative to the pallet; treating the workpiece with a laser;applying ink to mark the workpiece while in registration with thepallet; and removing the laser treated and inked workpiece from thepallet. In selected configurations, the ink can be applied to theworkpiece by passing the ink through a screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one configuration of the markingapparatus.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the marking apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side elevated view of the marking apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the laser component.

FIG. 5 is an alternative configuration of the marking apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a further configuration of the marking apparatus.

FIG. 7 is yet another alternative configuration of the markingapparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the present invention is set forth as a marking apparatus 10,wherein both ink (such as screen) printing and laser treating (as wellas laser modification, laser cutting, laser indicia application, lasermarking or laser heating) can be applied to a workpiece 8. As seen inFIGS. 5-7, the marking apparatus 10 includes a laser marker 100 and aprinting head 30 for marking the workpiece on a pallet 20.

The workpiece 8 can be any of a variety of constructions includingfabrics, textiles, garments, and garment components as well as mediasuch as disks, displays, folders, webs, packaging and panels. A varietyof materials can be processed as the workpiece 8 with the markingapparatus 10 including, but not limited to, fabrics, leathers, vinyls,synthetics, rubber, wood, metals, plastics, ceramics, glass, and othermaterials. These materials can be used to make a variety of differentgoods. Some common examples include clothing, linens, footwear, belts,purses and wallets, luggage, vehicle interiors, furniture coverings, andwall coverings.

The present marking apparatus 10 can be employed in a system having asingle station or a plurality of stations or pallets 20. In theconfiguration employing a plurality of pallets 20, the pallets can bedistributed in any of a variety of configurations including, but notlimited to, carousel, processing lines and modular.

Exemplary versions of the multiple station marking apparatus 10 areshown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5-7. However, the present marking apparatus 10 isequally applicable to a single station, as well as single and multiplecolor printing devices.

For purposes of brevity, a six-pallet, two-color marking apparatus isshown and will be generally described only so far as necessary tounderstand the operation of the present invention in a contextrecognized by those skilled in the art. The seven pallet configurationsof FIGS. 5-7 are set forth in terms sufficient to describe the presentinventive aspects.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, a rotatable indexing table 22 andassociated supporting frame are shown. In the configuration of FIG. 1,six workpiece receiving pallets 20 are mounted on pallet supports 24which in turn are mounted on the indexing table 22. Each pallet 20 isautomatically indexed to rotate to each of the six operating stationsfor loading and unloading, printing, drying, laser treating, and thelike in a sequenced manner about a central shaft. The control of thepallets can be coordinated with control of the laser marker 100. It isunderstood control of the laser marker 100 and printing can beintegrated.

The registration of the workpiece 8 relative to the pallet 20 can beaccomplished by any of a variety of mechanisms. For example, theworkpiece 8 can include a fiducial or reference indicia, and the pallet20 can include a corresponding seating or alignment surface. In such aconfiguration, upon aligning the reference indicia and the seatingsurface, the workpiece 8 is registered with the pallet 20.Alternatively, the workpiece can include a feature to be aligned withthe pallet. Although a single registration of the workpiece relative tothe pallet 20 is described, it is understood the workpiece and thepallet can have separate registrations for the printing and the lasertreating steps.

Alternatively, the workpiece can be manually located and clamped or heldin position on the pallet 20, prior to moving the printing head 30 tothe printing position relative to the pallet.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5-7, the printing head 30 can include a frame33 for retaining a screen 34, wherein the screen will bear the patternto be inked on the workpiece 8. The printing head 30 either includes orcooperates with an ink supply and ink distributor, such as a blade orplough. At least the screen 34 can be moveably connected relative to thepallet 20 between a printing position and a (retracted) standby ornon-printing position. In the printing position, the screen 34 isoriented relative to the pallet 20 in a predetermined and reproduciblelocation, so as to allow ink passing through the screen to mark theworkpiece in a predetermined manner. In the non-printing (retracted)position, the screen 34 is spaced from the pallet 20. Movement of thepallet 20 and/or the screen 34 between the printing position and theretracted (non-printing) position can be along of variety of paths suchas pivoting, rotating, folding or sliding. The pallet 20 and/or screen34 can be moved between the printing and the retracted position by anyof a variety of mechanisms, including but not limited to hydraulic,pneumatic, gears, cams and bias mechanisms. The printing head 30 and thepallet 20 can be operably retained in the printing position by any of anumber of mechanisms including, but not limited to, clasps, detents andpins, as well as servo or electromechanical couplers.

Alternatively, the screen 34 can be substantially fixed and the pallet20 moved relative to the screen. It is understood the relative motion ofthe pallet 20 and the printing head 30 can be any of a variety ofconfigurations, including fixed pallet—moving printing head; movingpallet—fixed printing head; and moving pallet—moving printing head,without impacting the scope of the present invention.

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a portion of the printing head 30 is disposedabove pallets 20. In one configuration, the pallet 20 and correspondingscreen 34 move vertically to operably engage the remainder of theprinting head 30. The portions of the printing head 30 located above thepallet 20 can include the squeegee, flood bar and ink supply (orconnection to the ink supply).

For screen printing, the printing head 30 includes the frame 33 forretaining the screen 34, wherein the screen will bear the pattern to beinked. In this construction, the printing head 30 also either includesor cooperates with the ink supply and ink distributor, such as a blade,bar or plough.

Although the printing head 30 is set forth in terms of screen printing,it is understood that alternative printing heads can be employed, suchas ink, ink jet, dot matrix printers, as well as laser printers, whereinthe printing head is moveable relative to the pallet 20 between theprinting position and the retracted (spaced, non-printing) position.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the laser marker 100. The laser maker100 projects a laser beam along a projection path P to intersect thepallet 20 or the workpiece on the pallet. In a preferred configuration,the printing head 30 in the relative retracted position does not occludethe projection path P. The laser marker 100 typically includes at leastone scanning mirror, wherein laser parameters, such as output power andrepetition rate, are set by a laser controller 104 and a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 106. The parameters for the desired pattern to bemade on the workpiece 8 are typically programmed into the CPU 106. Thebeam position and laser intensity can be rapidly modulated to producethe desired fading effects including, but not limited to, stone washabrasion, graphic and text effects, photodecomposition, as well asperforating or cutting.

The CPU 106 has graphic information and formatted instructions to drivethe galvanometric or scanning mirrors and control the laser parametersto produce the desired pattern on the textile material. As per thecommand sequence, a modulated or continuous laser beam originates from alaser oscillator 120. The laser oscillator 120 can be a CO₂, laserNd:YAG laser, harmonics of an Nd:YAG laser, fiber laser, laser diode, orother laser source, q-switched with an acousto-optic or electro-opticmodulator.

A Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of around 1064 nanometers and a CO₂laser with a wavelength of approximately 10600 nm can be employed. Thelaser beam can be generated by a frequency doubled or tripled Nd:YAGlaser having a wavelength of approximately 532 nm or 354 nm,respectively.

Other possible wavelengths for other laser sources range between 190nanometers to 10600 nanometers. An excimer laser can operate effectivelyat wavelengths 196 nm to 235 nm, or a CO₂ laser can operate effectivelyat 10600 nanometers. The wavelength of the laser can be chosen such thatit is strongly absorbed by the dye to be faded but not by the textilematerial. The range of pulse duration used has been from 5 nanosecondsto 1000 milliseconds, with the best results being from 20 microsecondsto 50 milliseconds. Other variables, such as the pulse energy, peakpower, scan speed, dot pitch, and energy density, play an importantfactor in the degree of photo-decomposition and, depending upon thedesired result, the avoidance of damage to the workpiece.

For example, these variable parameters can include the laser beam havinga repetition rate from 1 hertz to 500 MHz (500×10⁶ hertz), a pulseduration between approximately 10 fs (10×10⁻¹⁵ seconds) to 500 ms(500×10⁻³ seconds). In addition, ranges from 5 nanoseconds to continuousare possible, in that the laser can have a continuous output beam and isclassified as a CW laser, or the laser can have a scan speed of 1 mm perminute to 500 meter/second, and a dot pitch between 0.1 μm to 5 meters.A preferred range for the pulses is from 20 microseconds toapproximately 1 millisecond.

It is understood alternative constructions can be employed. A laser ofany type, including but not limited to a gas laser and a solid-statelaser in CW or pulsed operation mode, produces a laser beam. A CO₂ lasermay be preferred for processing many materials.

The laser beam can follow an optical system (not shown for clarity) thatdirects the beam onto an x-axis mirror 112 controlled by an x-axisgalvanometer 122 and a y-axis mirror 114 controlled by an y-axisgalvanometer 124. The beam is reflected from the x-axis mirror 112,which controls beam movement in the x-axis, onto the y-axis mirror 114,which controls beam movements in the y-axis. Preferably, the laserimpinges the workpiece on the pallet 20 along a scanning pattern. Thescanning pattern, or trace, can be created by any of a variety ofscanning mechanisms. The particular scanning pattern, or trace, can beany of a variety of patterns including raster or vector.

The laser beam propagates through a focusing lens 130 and onto theworkpiece. The focusing lens 130 can be located before or after the xand y scanning mirrors 112, 114. As the x-axis and y-axis mirrors 112,114 are moved, the focused laser beam moves across the workpiece asdirected by the CPU 106. The focusing lens 130 causes the laser beampassing through the lens to focus to a focal point along the opticalaxis. Preferably, the focusing lens 130 is selected to locate the focalpoint adjacent the workpiece or the pallet 20. However, it is understoodthe focal point can be moved along the optical path to selectivelycontrol the energy input to the workpiece and hence the amount offading, or other selected laser treatment.

A moveable stage (not shown) can be used to hold the lens 30 so that thedistance between the lens and the pallet 20 can be changed to alter thebeam spot size as well as the focal point along the projection path.Alternatively, the pallet 20 can be moved relative to the lens 130.

While the laser marker 100 has been described in terms of a controller104 and CPU 106, it is understood an integrated control system for boththe laser marker 100 and the printing head 30 can be employed tocoordinate and control printing by the printing head and application ofthe laser beam. Depending upon the particular model or manufacturer ofthe laser components, the laser controller and CPU can be integratedinto a single unit, without impacting the scope of the invention.

Usually, the laser beam is directed generally perpendicular to thesurface of the pallet 20, but it may be desirable to guide the beam tothe surface with an angle to achieve certain effects. For example, theincident angle can range between about 45° and about 135°. That is, thepath of the laser can be from 70° from a normal to the pallet 20 tosubstantially normal to the pallet.

Multiple laser scanning passes can be performed in treating a selectedsection of the workpiece 8. In general, any beam scanning scheme can bein the invention. For example, a commonly used line scanning scheme canbe used to scan a surface in a line-by-line manner with each scanningline being a substantially straight line. Non-straight scanning linescan also be used to achieve certain surface appearance that may not bepossible with straight scanning lines. In particular, scanning innon-straight lines can be used to enhance the feathering effect on theworkpiece. The beam steering and scanning device and/or the focusingoptics can be controlled with the control computer so that the trace ofthe scanning beam on a surface forms a certain waveform pattern. A sineor cosine type scanning line can be formed. Two adjacent wobbling linesmay or may not overlap with each other. The wobbling scanning lines canbe used in the scaling technique to compensate for the increasedscanning spacing due to the increase in the size of an area to beprocessed.

The laser marker 100 can be regulated to substantially precludedegrading the workpiece 8 to the extent normally occurring in a physicalabrasion area, while treating the workpiece to produce a fade patternthat mimics the physical abrasion pattern. Thus, the laser marker 100can create localized “abrasions” in the workpiece 8, wherein thetransition from the unfaded material to the fade of the abrasion in thematerial can be controlled in a manner to replicate an abrasion.

It has been found that use of the CO₂ laser on dyed cotton threadedtextiles can cause a vaporization or ablation of the dye withoutsignificantly damaging the threads. That is, the laser energy impactedon the workpiece is greater than the vaporization/ablation thresholdlevel of the dye in the cotton threads but is less than thevaporization/ablation threshold level for the cotton threads.Conversely, use of the Nd:YAG laser tends to photo-decompose orphoto-bleach the dye in the cotton threads.

An alternative method for laser marking includes selectively alteringthe location of the focal point relative to the sheet material.Generally, the laser beam is brought out of focus at the areas wheretransitional fading is desired. More particularly, this is referred toas Z-axis focus control.

Z-axis focus control is a configuration available on some commerciallyavailable laser marking systems. A moveable, computer programmed,focusing system can be programmed to vary the focus across the scanfield. The focusing system is programmed to defocus the beam as the beamnears the edges of the graphic being marked.

In one configuration, an occluding plate is selectively located inprojection path P, upon disposing the printing head 30 (or at least thescreen 34) in the printing position. The occluding plate is constructedto restrict or preclude intersection of the laser beam along theprojection path P and the pallet 20. In an alternative configuration,power to the laser marker 100 can be interrupted upon disposing theprinting head 30 (or the screen 34) in the printing position.

Conversely, when the printing head 30 (or the screen) is in theretracted position, the occluding plate is spaced from the projectionpath P, or power is supplied to the laser marker 100. Although it is notrequired to limit travel of the laser beam when the printing head 30 (orscreen) is in the printing position, it is believed to enhance operatorfriendliness, by limiting the travel of the laser beam.

The present marking apparatus 10 provides for the application of amarking substance, such as ink or paint, to the workpiece and the lasertreatment of the workpiece 8, without relocating (or re-registering) theworkpiece relative to a pallet 20. Upon the workpiece 8 being registeredwith the pallet 20, multiple colors can be screened on the workpiecealong with laser treatment, without requiring re-registration of theworkpiece or optical sensors for identifying a location of theworkpiece.

It is contemplated the printing, such as screen printing, and the lasertreatment, such as laser marking, can be done in any order orcombination. For example, the workpiece 8 can be screen printed and thenlaser treated, wherein the laser treatment is used to alter or set theink, or is used to modify proportions of the garment that do not includeink.

Alternatively, the workpiece 8 can be initially laser treated, then thepallet moved to the relative printing position with respect to theprinting head, and the workpiece printed.

As the screen 34 and/or the printing head 30 can be sized to overly asubstantial portion of the workpiece on the pallet 20, it is understoodthe printing head may be sufficiently small to allow simultaneousprinting, such as screen printing and laser marking of the workpiece. Inthis instance, the interlocks for precluding laser propagation along theprojection path while the screen 34 and printing head 30 are in theprint position would be deactivated.

Thus, the marking apparatus 10 provides increased throughput of theworkpieces as re-registration between printing, such as screen printingand laser treatment, such as laser marking is obviated. Further, themarking apparatus 10 allows for sequential laser marking and screenprinting, wherein the separate areas of the workpiece are treated. It isalso understood, the laser treatment can be used to “pre-treat” sectionsof the workpiece 8 for the subsequent application of ink through thescreen printing. Alternatively, the laser can be used to post-treat ascreen printed workpiece, such as by cure, color, or altering previouslyapplied ink, without re-registering the workpiece relative to the pallet20.

Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative construction of the markingapparatus 10 is shown. In this configuration, the pallets 20 rotaterelative to the screens 34. The pallets thus travel along an orbit orpath. The laser marker 100 is disposed to intersect the path of thepallets 20. In one configuration, the laser marker 100 is stationary andthe pallets rotate into operable alignment as the pallets rotate aboutthe indexing table 22.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the present apparatus 10 can be configuredto employ overhead printing heads 30. In this construction, typicallythe squeegee and flood bar and exposure of the ink to the screen 34 aredisposed overhead, wherein the screen 34 and the pallet 20 are broughtvertically into alignment with the printing head 30. In theseconfigurations, the screen 34 is typically moved vertically betweenoperable alignment with the printing head 30 and a spaced position. Thepallets 20 rotate relative to the printing heads 30.

In FIG. 6, the laser marker 100 is disposed to be in the rotational pathof the pallets 20. Thus, as the pallets 20 rotate between respectiveprinting heads 30 (screens 34), the workpiece 8 can be operably alignedwith the laser marker 100. In this construction, the laser marker 100can be readily positioned relative to the apparatus 10 so as to beremoveable.

In FIG. 7, the laser marker 100 is effectively connected to a printinghead 30. Although any of a variety of mechanisms can be used to operablyalign the projection path of the laser marker 100 with the pallet 20(and hence workpiece 8 on the pallet), a representative construction isshown in FIG. 7. A portion of the laser marker 100 is offset from therelevant printing head 30 such that as the pallet 20 approaches operablealignment with the corresponding printing head 30 (screen 34), thepallet and the workpiece intersect the projection path of the lasermarker.

It is also understood that an optical guidance system such as mirrors oreven fiber optics can be employed to intersect a workpiece 8 registeredon the pallet 20 with the laser from the laser marker 100.

Therefore, the present apparatus provides for the laser treatment andapplication of ink (either through screen printing, impact printing orother inking applications) to a workpiece 8 under a single registrationor alignment of the workpiece 8 relative to a pallet 20.

It has also been discovered that the laser can be used to form aplurality or multiplicity of micro perforations in the workpiece 8. Themicro perforations can be on the order of the spot size of the laser.For example, perforations on the order of 10 mu (microns) toapproximately 500 mu can be formed throughout or in selected portions ofthe workpiece, such as a garment. The perforations can be employed foreither a decorative or functional result. For example, in the functionalresult, the micro perforations would allow the fabric to pass more air(breath), thereby providing a cooler garment for the user.Alternatively, the micro perforations can be used for purely design oraesthetic functions.

For synthetic fabrics, it has been found these micro perforationssubstantially retain their original size. That is, the fibers of thefabric are typically melted upon formation of the micro perforation, andthe melted material anchors or locks the fibers about the periphery ofthe perforation to substantially preclude enlargement of theperforation. In contrast, for natural fibers such as cotton, wool orfiber mixes including natural fibers, the fibers do not melt; and thusthere is a tendency of the fibers at the periphery of the microperforation to fray or unwind. As the local fibers fray, the microperforation is enlarged. It has been found that forming microperforations on natural fibers in conjunction with an oil based ink(paint) on the fabric allows the micro perforations to substantiallyretain their original size through repeated use of the fabric. It isbelieved such an oil base ink (paint) effectively binds the fibers aboutthe perimeter of the micro perforation, thereby reducing or evenprecluding the enlargement of the perforation.

An oil based paint (ink) that has been found satisfactory is a plastisolbased ink. Plastisol inks can be used in the textile printing industry.These inks are easy to use, are very opaque on dark fabrics, and willadhere to most fabrics and give years of service, even through repeatedwashings. A true plastisol ink has no solvent and is made from 100%solid products. There is a plasticizer liquid in the ink which has avery high boiling point of 500 to 600° F. The major portion of theliquid part of the ink is plasticizer and polyvinyl chloride resins(PVC). These two ingredients determine the characteristics of the ink.Plastisol inks must be heated to dry. Plastisol inks can be printed onmost textile surfaces as long as the material can withstand thetemperatures of curing and as long as the ink can be absorbed orpenetrated into the surface; so when the ink gels, it will adhere andform a permanent bond. When plastisol ink is heated, the PVC resinparticles swell and absorb the liquid plasticizer; and these swelledparticles merge with each other and form a solid film called anelastomer. Curing of plastisol ink is accomplished by rapidly bringingthe ink up to curing temperature with electric, microwave, gas orinfrared heaters which penetrate the ink quickly to insure a “fullycured” condition. The thicker the ink, the longer it will take toachieve this cured condition. A properly cured ink film will be able tostretch and then retract without cracking when pulled.

Although inks have been described, it is understood that a clear binderor adhesive type material can be applied to the natural fibers toeffectively fix the fibers about the periphery of the perforation.

The present invention finds particular application to marking workpiecessuch as garments and particularly tops including, but not limited to,shirts, pullovers, sweatshirts, jackets and coats. However, it isunderstood the invention can be applied to treat bottoms including, butnot limited to, shorts, briefs, slacks and pants.

While the invention has been described in connection with a presentlypreferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many modifications and changes can be made without departing fromthe true spirit and scope of the invention, which accordingly isintended to be defined solely by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for treating a workpiece by printing and lasertreatment, the apparatus comprising: (a) a pallet for supporting atleast a portion of the workpiece; (b) a laser selectively projecting alaser beam along a projection path to intersect the pallet; and (c) aprinting head for printing the workpiece disposed on the pallet, thepallet being moveable relative to at least one of the laser and theprinting head.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising acontroller connected to the laser.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe printing head is moveable between a screening position and aretracted position.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the palletincludes a registration of the workpiece relative to the pallet for boththe laser and the printing head.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe pallet is moveable.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laseris fixed.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser is moveable. 8.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the printing head includes a screenfor passing the ink.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laserincludes a scanning laser.
 10. A screen printing and laser treatingapparatus for printing and laser treating a workpiece, the apparatus,comprising: (a) a pallet for supporting at least a portion of theworkpiece; (b) a screen for passing ink to print on the workpiece, thepallet being moveable relative to the screen moveable between ascreening position and a spaced position; and (c) a laser projecting alaser beam along a projection path to intersect the pallet.
 11. Thescreen printing and laser treating apparatus of claim 10, wherein thelaser beam intersects the pallet in the spaced position.
 12. The screenprinting and laser treating apparatus of claim 10, further comprising aplurality of screens.
 13. The screen printing and laser treatingapparatus of claim 10, wherein the laser includes a focusing optic inthe projection path for changing a focal point of the laser beam alongthe projection path.
 14. The screen printing and laser treatingapparatus of claim 10, wherein the laser includes a beam expander in theprojection path.
 15. The screen printing and laser treating apparatus ofclaim 10, wherein the laser includes a polygon scanner.
 16. The screenprinting and laser treating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the laserincludes a galvanometer laser scanner.
 17. The screen printing and lasertreating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the laser is selected to cut theworkpiece.
 18. The screen printing and laser treating apparatus of claim10, wherein the pallets rotate about a central axis.
 19. The screenprinting and laser treating apparatus of claim 10, further comprising aframe and a plurality of printing heads connected to the frame.
 20. Amethod of marking a workpiece, the method comprising: (a) registeringthe workpiece relative to a pallet; (b) treating the workpiece with alaser; (c) marking the workpiece with ink; and (d) removing the lasertreated and ink marked workpiece from the pallet.
 21. The method ofclaim 20, wherein treating the workpiece with a laser includes at leastone of fading, photo-decomposing, cutting, ablating, perforating ormarking.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein marking the workpiece withink includes passing the ink through a screen to mark the workpiece. 23.The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the pallet relative toa laser marker.
 24. The method of claim 20, further comprising markingthe workpiece with a plurality of inks.
 25. A processed fabric,comprising: (a) a fabric formed of natural fibers; (b) a plurality oflaser formed perforations in the fabric, each perforation having aperiphery; and (c) a binding coating on the fabric adjacent theperiphery, the binding coating reducing a fray or unwinding of thefibers along the periphery.
 26. The fabric of claim 25, wherein thebinding coating is an oil base.
 27. The fabric of claim 25, wherein thebinding coating is a plastisol ink.
 28. The fabric of claim 25, whereinthe perforations have a diameter less than 500 microns.
 29. The fabricof claim 25, wherein the perforations have a diameter less than 10microns.
 30. The fabric of claim 25, wherein the perforations have adiameter less than 1 millimeter.
 31. An apparatus for marking aworkpiece, comprising: a plurality of printing heads; a plurality ofpallets moveable relative to the pallets, each pallet moveable between aprinting position and a non-printing position; and a laser projecting alaser beam along a projection path to intersect the pallet, upon thepallet being in the non-printing position.
 32. The apparatus of claim31, wherein each printing head includes a screen and a wiper forselectively urging ink through a screen.
 33. The apparatus of claim 31,wherein the laser scanner is a galvanometer laser scanner.
 34. Theapparatus of claim 31, wherein the laser scanner is a polygon scanner.35. A method of treating a fabric, comprising: (a) laser forming aplurality of perforations in the fabric; and (b) applying an oil basedink to the fabric.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the laser formingoccurs before applying the oil based ink.
 37. The method of claim 35,wherein the laser forming occurs after applying the oil based ink. 38.The method of claim 35, further comprising precluding fraying of fiberswith the ink adjacent the perforations.